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by Joe Cornely

In response to inaccurate press reports, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) is emphasizing its active support for legislation that will create a new tool for protecting prime agricultural land from development. Introduced by Rep. Tony Core, R-Rushylvania, House Bill 367 would allow local governments to create Agricultural Security Areas (ASAs).

According to the proposed legislation, ASAs would be in place for a minimum of 10 years and would include at least 1,000 acres. Individuals or multiple owners could form an ASA. In return for agreeing to keep the land in farming, landowners would be assured that local government would not do anything to encourage nonfarm development in the area.

Another part of the bill would allow local governments to offer tax incentives to owners of property in the ASA. Tax credits could be granted on improvements to property in the ASA.

Ag Security Areas would join Current Agricultural Use Valuation taxation, Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) agreements and Ag District laws in the "toolbox" of farmland preservation options. According to Core, there is a need to "do more to encourage blocks of farm ground to stay in farming." Having larger tracts of land protected from sprawl will address the "uncontrolled mix of development that makes it harder and harder to be profitable in agriculture," Core said. ASAs also complement PDR programs, according to Scott Williams, OFBF director of state legislative affairs. "The fact that these are 10-year agreements, as opposed to permanent arrangements, is attractive to some landowners."

OFBF has joined Core in responding to several misleading newspaper stories about the bill. One inaccuracy in the reports was that local school districts would see their property tax revenues cut. This isn’t true. The bill says local governments may choose to abate taxes, and if they do so, only on new construction or improvements. "Under any scenario, schools are not going to lose money," Core said.

Another error reported was that some farms would automatically qualify for benefits created by the bill. In actuality, there is no automatic qualification. The law would stipulate that landowners have the right to apply to local governing authorities to create an Ag Security Area. Those authorities would be required to consider environmental implications plus seek public input before granting or refusing an application. According to OFBF's Williams, "This law, more than anything, is about local control over land-use. This process puts the say-so in the hands of local authorities to decide how agriculture fits into their overall growth plan."

Williams said another inaccuracy in reports about this bill deals with the potential impact on family farming enterprises. "To say this bill will help large farms at the expense of smaller or mid-sized farms is just plain wrong," according to Williams. "As a matter of fact, the bill helps the smaller farms which are most at risk from encroaching development. They’ll have the opportunity to group together to create an area where agriculture can thrive, safe from the threat of immediate development."

Hearings on the legislation continue in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. For more information about the legislation and Farm Bureau’ s work toward its passage, visit the "Government and Grassroots" page of the OFBF Web site at ofbf.org.